Railroad-crossing gate.



'J. C. PARISH.

RAILROAD CROSSING GATE,

APPLICATION HLED' APR. :2. 191a.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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J. C. PARISH.

HAlLROAD CROSSING GATE.

APPLICATION FILED APP-.12. 1918.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 JAMES C. PARISH, OF VANLUE, OHIO.

RAILROAD-CROSSING GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed April 12, 1918. Serial No. 228,161.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Litres C. PARISH, a citizen of the United States, residin at Vanlue, in the county of Hancock and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossing Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in railway crossing gates and has for on of its objects the provision of a device of this character adapted to automatically close or bar the roadway of the crossing to traflic upon the approach of a train, and which will automatically open after the train passes the crossing.

Another object of this invention is the provision of gates normally maintaining a vertical position, permitting free access to the crossing for the traffic and which have associated therewith weighted mechanisms which are affected by the approach and passing of a train at the crosping to move said gates into horizontal or closed position and into vertical or open position.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a trip mechanism upon each side of the crossing adapted to be actuated by the train and connected to the weighted mechanism for causing them to open and close the gates upon the approach and passing of the train at the crossing.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means for locking the gates in open position to. prevent them from moving into closed position accidentally.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a railway crossing gate of the above stated character, which shall be simple, durable and eflicient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consistsin certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description, and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway crossing gate constructed in accordance with my inventlon,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional Referring in detail to the drawings, the

numeral 1 indicates a railway track consisting of the ties 2 and the railroad rails 3. The railroad track 1 has intersecting therewith a roadway 4 to form a usual railway crossing. The afore-described construction relates to a well known railway crossing and to which my invention is applied.

In, applying my invention to the above construction, gates 5 are located upon each side of the track 1 adjacent the crossing 4: and normally maintain a substantially vertical position, and upon the approach of a train swings into horizontal position across the roadway 4: to bar or close the same. As both of the gates 5 and the operating means therefor are identical in construction, refer ence to one is thought sufiicient for both.

A supporting post 6 is secured in the ground in any well known manner alongside the track 1 adjacent the roadway 4c, and has formed at its upper end spaced supporting arms 7 carrying bearings 8 in which is j ournaled a shaft 9.

The gate 5 has an enlarged portion 10 which is slotted to form relatively spaced members that are apertured to receive the shaft 9 so that the gate 5 is pivotally supported. A counter-balancing weight 11 is secured to the free end of the enlarged portion 10 of the gate 5 for supporting the gate in substantially vertical or open position and which will return said gate to this position when released from a closed position. A wheel 12 is journaled upon the shaft 9 between the spaced members of the enlarged portion 10 of the gate 5 and has its periphery grooved as illustrated at 13. A chain or other flexible member 14 is secured to the periphery of the wheel 12 as illustrated at 15 and extends downwardly over a pulley 16 supported by one of the ties and has its free end connected to a trip mechanism 17 located upon one side of the crossing. A similar chain or flexible member 18 is secured to the periphery of the wheel 12 at a point substantially opposite to the point where the chain 14 is connected and the chain or flexible element 18 passes over a pulley 19 carried by one of the ties and is connected to a trip mechanism 20 located upon the other side of the crossing. A weight 21 is secured to the Wheel 12 for the purpose of maintaining the wheel 12 in a given position, and which will automatically return the wheel to this position when moved or turned therefrom.

WVhen the gate 5 is in an open or vertical position, the weight 21 occupies a position as illustrated in Fig. 3 and occupies a posltion as illustrated in Fig. 2 when the gate is in a closed position. A pin 21 is secured to the wheel 1-2 adjacent the weight 21 and is adapted to engage the gate 5 for causing said gate to move to a closed position when the wheel 12 is turned or rotated in one direction under the influence of the trip mechanism 17 and the weight 21.

A catch 22 is carried by the gate 5 at the free end of the enlarged portion 10 thereof and is adapted to engage a spring keeper 23 upon the post 6 when the gate is moved into open position, thereby supporting the same in an open position against accidental movement.

The trip mechanism 17 consists of a transverse shaft 24 journaled in suitable bearings 25 located upon each side of the track 1 and upon one side of the roadway 4 and at a considerable distance therefrom. A segment 26 is eccentrically secured to the shaft 24 and is provided with a grooved periphery 27 having the free end of the chain or flexible element 14 connected therein as illustrated at 28. The shaft 24 is squared as illustrated at 30 defining a shoulder 31. The segment 26 is provided with a squared opening to receive the squared portion 30 of the shaft 24 and is limited in its movement in one direction upon the shaft 24 by the shoulder 31. A washer 32 is located upon the shaft 24 adjacent the segment 26 and against a pin 33 carried by the shaft 24 for limiting the movement of the segment upon the shaft 24 in the other direction. The outer ends of the shaft 24 are further supported by suitable bearings 34 which obviate the danger of the ends of the shaft from bending during the use of the device. A trip member 35 is secured to the shaft 24 and has an angularly related end which is adapted to be engaged by a trip mechanism carried by the train so that the member 35 wvill be moved downwardly rotating the shaft 24 causing a pull and maintain this position until after the train has passed the roadway 4. A suitable stop is located upon the track 1 adjacent the shaft 24 for limiting the-movement of the trip member 35 in one direction so that the weight 21 will be supported in a position as illustrated in Fig. 3, when the gate is in an open position. 7

The trip mechanism 20 consists of a shaft 36 journaled in suitable bearings similar to the bearings 34 that support the shaft 24 of the trip mechanism 17 and at a point upon the opposite side of the roadway 4. The shaft 36 has secured thereto an arm 37 to which the free end of the chain or flexible element 18 is connected. Secured to the shaft 36 is a member 38 similar in construction to the member 35 which is adapted to be engaged by the trip mechanism upon the train so as to be moved downwardly into a position as illustrated in dotted lines of Fig. 1 for exerting a pull upon the chain 18. When a pull is exerted upon the chain 18, the wheel 12 is rotated in a reverse direction under the influence of the same until the weight 21 reaches the point A, thence the weight turns the wheel 12 by gravitation until the weight reaches the position asillus trated in Fig. 3. The gate 5 is then free to automatically move to an open position under the influence of the weight 11.

From the foregoing description taken in connection avith the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that means has been provided for automatically opening and closing the gate upon the passage and approaching of a train to the crossing and also that means has been provided for locking the gate into an open position thereby holding them against accidental movement into closed position under the influence of wind and the like.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination, and arrangement of shaft, a weight carried by said wheel, a pin carried by said wheel and adapted to engage the gate, and trip mechanisms for rotating the wheel in either direction to move the Weight upon said wheel beyond a certain point so that the wheel will close the gate or permit the gate to automatically open.

2. A railway crossing gate comprising a supporting post, a gate pivoted to said post, a wheel journaled to said post, a Weight carried by said gate for normally holding said gate in an open position, a weight secured to said Nvheel, flexible elements connected to the periphery of said wheel, and track mechanism connected to said flexible elements for rotating the wheel in either direction to move the weight beyond a given point in either direction to open or close the gate.

3. A railway crossing gate comprising a supporting post, a gate pivoted to said post, a weight normally supporting said gate in an open position, a wheel journaled to said post, means carried by said Wheel for en gagement with the gate to move said gate into a closed position upon rotating the wheel in one direction, a weight carried by said Wheel for turning the wheel by gravitation in either direction upon the passing of the weight at a certain point, and track mechanisms actuated by the approach and passing of a train for turning the .wheel in either direction to move the Weight beyond a given point for moving the gate into a closed position and to permit the gate to automatically move to an open position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. PARISH.

Witnesses:

H. J. MARoHART, MARGIIE V. MOORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

